There's a romantic view of hockey as some sort of permanent, stable presence in the sporting world. And there's some truth to that. At its heart, the game that today's children lace up and play in rinks and on ponds around the world is similar to the one that past generations enjoyed.
But it's also true that modern hockey fans have seen the sport go through a seemingly endless series of changes in recent years. We've had expansion, work stoppages, new technology, improved equipment, and a constant influx of new rules that can make it hard to keep up with what's happening on and off the ice. In some sense, the current version of the sport is almost unrecognizable when compared to how the league looked just a half-century ago.
Just how different is today's NHL from the one our parents and grandparents enjoyed? Here are some of the key differences that have resulted from the league's continuing evolution:
Then: Players wore flimsy pads on their shoulders and elbows that didn't provide much protection, so the risk of injury was high.
Now: The game is much safer thanks to the advent of modern protective padding, like the Carbonite Skull-Crusher 3000.
Now: Players demonstrate their commitment to fitness by adhering to a strict diet, carefully monitoring their body fat index, and maintaining a rigorous year-round training program.
Then: Players demonstrated their commitment to fitness by trying really hard to smoke only between shifts.
Then: During breaks between play, fans filled in the quiet moments by having conversations with fellow fans about the game they were watching.
Now: During breaks between play, fans fill in the quiet moments by blinking once before the arena host starts screeching trivia questions and sponsor messages at them.
Now: On the way home from the game, fans can complain about the team's superstar to their cabdriver, who will likely agree that the player is wildly overpaid.
Then: On the way home from the game, fans could start to complain about the team's superstar to their cabdriver, before realizing it was him.
Then: There were only six teams in the league, meaning that when American TV networks planned their broadcast schedule, they had only six teams to choose from.
Now: There are thirty teams in the league, meaning that when American TV networks plan their broadcast schedule, they have only six teams to choose from.
Now: Players occasionally engage in “staged fights,” which all reasonable fans and media agree are an embarrassment to hockey's rich history of sportsmanship.
Then: Players never engaged in “staged fights,” preferring to settle disputes with more gentlemanly methods such as spontaneously hitting each other over the head with their sticks before climbing into the stands to attack some fans.
Then: As hard as it is for today's fans to imagine, goaltenders used to play without wearing masks.
Now: Goaltenders have long since realized that masks are absolutely essential, since otherwise there'd be nowhere for them to paint pictures of their favorite celebrities and cartoon characters.
Now: Players who suffer a head injury and are unable to immediately return to the game are sent to the “quiet room,” which is a term for a medical examination room in the arena where they can be evaluated in more detail.
Then: Players who suffered a head injury and were unable to immediately return to the game were sent to the “quiet room,” a term for the unemployment office.
Then: Fans watching on black-and-white television sets wished that the games could be broadcast in color.
Now: Fans watching on high-definition television sets wish that the games could be broadcast in black and white, at least whenever Don Cherry's latest suit appears on the screen.
Now: Fans sometimes get to see games decided by an exciting event known as the shoot-out.
Then: Fans were forced to suffer through the monotony of seeing the game's results determined entirely by actual hockey.
Then: The widespread use of curved stick blades increased offense, because they made slap shots behave unpredictably.
Now: Modern composite sticks increase offense, because they disintegrate in a defenseman's hand any time there's a slight breeze in the arena.
Now: If you leap to your feet and mercilessly boo Gary Bettman as soon as he makes an appearance at the game, you can count on your fellow fans joining in.
Then: If you leapt to your feet and mercilessly booed Gary Bettman as soon as he made an appearance at the game, you could count on your fellow fans turning to you and asking if that didn't seem kind of harsh for Little League.
Then: The All-Star Game featured a collection of the league's best players competing against the reigning Stanley Cup champions.
Now: The All-Star Game is totally different, in the sense that it no longer features anybody competing against anyone.
Now: A player who notices two referees arguing with each other would suspect that an especially close play has just occurred and the officials are taking the time to make sure they get the call right.
Then: A player who noticed two referees arguing with each other would suspect that he was still a little hungover from the night before.
Then: The one thing hockey fans could count on was seeing the Stanley Cup awarded every year, unless there was a major tragedy, such as a deadly outbreak of influenza.
Now: The one thing hockey fans can count on is seeing the Stanley Cup awarded every year, unless there's a major tragedy, such as a disagreement over how best to link player salaries to league revenues.